Sunday, November 8, 2020

Is the Lord being provoked to jealousy

 

Is the Lord being provoked to jealousy

 One of the commands that the Lord gave to the children of Israel after delivering them from the land of Egypt  and was later renewed was, “I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image --- any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” (Exodus 20:3-6; Deuteronomy 5:7-10).

To understand the depth and magnitude of this issue one needs to have a good in-depth understanding of who the Lord is and how could such a powerful being refer to Himself as the Lord our God, a consuming fire and a jealous God (Deuteronomy 4:24; Hebrews 12:29)!

Let us first and foremost look at the definition of jealousy which is having the feelings that one loved is loving or favoring someone else: jealousy is seen as a necessary emotion, because it preserves social bonds and motivates people to engage in behaviors that maintain important relationships.

As one can clearly see the motivating factor for the Lord`s jealousy is that of worshiping false gods, and  for this reason God´s people have been forewarned saying; “Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst: But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images (for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God)” (Exodus 34:12-14).

In cautioning the children of Israel against disobeying the laws of God, Moses said to them; “You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you (for the LORD your God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the LORD your God be aroused against you and destroy you from the face of the earth: You shall not tempt the LORD your God as you tempted Him in Massah” (Deuteronomy 6:14-16).

Joshua also made a covenant with the people and said to them, "You cannot serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good." And the people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve the LORD!" (Joshua 24:19-21).

There is also in the New Testament an appeal from the apostle Paul to flee from idolatry for thus he said, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's Table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?” (1 Corinthians 10:21-22).

So then the question remains, is the Lord being provoked to jealousy? From all indications the answer is a resounding yes, because when one considers the Lord who created the heavens, the earth, the seas and all that are in them says; "Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist," Says the LORD. "But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word” (Isaiah 66:1-2).

Ask ourselves one simple question, how many professing Christians who are of a poor and contrite spirit and who trembles at God´s word which says, “You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:30; 26:2)?

How many of us instead of obeying this simple instruction and tremble at God´s word, will in the coming weeks do exactly what the Lord warned us against saying; “Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. Thus says the LORD: "Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the Gentiles are dismayed at them. For the customs of the peoples are futile; for one cuts a tree from the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.  They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with nails and hammers So that it will not topple. They are upright, like a palm tree, and they cannot speak; they must be carried, because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, nor can they do any good."

Inasmuch as there is none like You, O LORD (You are great, and your name is great in might), who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For this is Your rightful due. For among all the wise men of the nations, And in all their kingdoms, there is none like You. But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish; a wooden idol is a worthless doctrine” (Jeremiah 10:1-8).

So let us be open and true to ourselves, when we blatantly reject the Lord´s instructions to observe His Sabbaths and choose rather to observe days and festivals which He has not ordained are we not provoking the Lord to jealousy? Let our conscience and the word of God be the judge, for truly these times of ignorance God has overlooked but now commands all men everywhere to repent.

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph